Community tourism - a new direction for cooperatives

The model is spreading

Developing cooperatives associated with community tourism is a new trend, helping to exploit local potential, increase income for people, while preserving culture and protecting the environment. The cooperative model associated with community tourism and school tourism in Binh Thuan is being strongly implemented, especially in localities such as Phan Thiet, Ham Thuan Bac, Bac Binh, Duc Linh...

Primary school students experience visiting Suoi Tien.

Currently, the province has nearly 200 cooperatives, including 167 agricultural cooperatives. In recent years, the cooperative model combined with tourism has tended to develop and has had certain impacts on agricultural production and rural economic development in general and household economy in particular. Recently, schools in and outside the province are interested in rural tourism experience services at Thien Nghiep Organic Livestock Cooperative (Phan Thiet City). This is a green agricultural chain project raising regional specialties, combining eco-tourism experiences in association with Ba Tuong Farm. Many students of all levels have come here to experience the beauty of Suoi Tien located at the foot of the mountain, immerse themselves in nature, be guided to plant trees, harvest vegetables, visit cages raising lizards, wild chickens, pigeons, etc. In addition, they can also play folk games such as fishing, catching chickens, smashing pots, eating checkers, etc. while relaxing and enjoying specialties such as pigeons and lizards raised on site, which is quite interesting.

Get instructions on how to make pancakes at Ba Tuong Farm.

Children also get to play folk games like catching fish and chickens.

Besides Ba Tuong Farm, Hoa Le Dragon Fruit Cooperative is also a familiar destination for student groups inside and outside the province. With nearly 200 hectares of clean dragon fruit in the beautiful red ripe fruit season, in recent times, Hoa Le Clean Dragon Fruit Cooperative has welcomed many domestic and foreign delegations (Korea, Japan, Europe) to visit the garden, experience culinary dishes made from dragon fruit, and exchange regional cultures. Or in the districts, there are models of visiting fruit gardens such as durian in Da Mi (Ham Thuan Bac), visiting gardens in Da Kai commune (Duc Linh), picking grapes and melons at Binh An farm... Mr. Do Thanh Hiep, Director of Hoa Le clean dragon fruit cooperative (Ma Lam town, Ham Thuan Bac) shared: "In order for this model to develop more strongly in the future, Hoa Le cooperative is planning to connect with cooperatives that produce and process other products besides dragon fruit to diversify local products and OCOP products. Thereby helping cooperative members increase income, improve production, diversify services, and typical tourism products, contributing to local economic development".

High school students in the province visit Hoa Le Dragon Fruit Cooperative.

Need for cohesion

However, it is also necessary to recognize the current reality that tourism activities in cooperatives are mainly spontaneous, without planning, lacking connection with tourism tours, so they are not professional. Agricultural tourism products are not really attractive to tourists and have not focused on design and brand. Agricultural and rural tourism activities are still repetitive, not promoting the core values ​​of traditional cultural identity, sophistication, difference and regional characteristics in agricultural tourism products. Many agricultural and rural tourism models have been exploited for many years but have not been invested in and renewed, mainly relying on the exploitation of natural resources. In addition, state management of cooperatives associated with tourism has not been completed.

Agricultural and rural tourism activities have not yet fully exploited their potential.

Recently, the Provincial Cooperative Union organized a training course on the topic "Developing cooperatives associated with community tourism and school tourism". Ms. Tran Thi Kim Thoa - Vice President of the Provincial Cooperative Union shared: "This training course will help cooperative members who are engaged in agricultural production in the province understand that in addition to pure agricultural production, it is necessary to combine tourism development, in order to create more value for the cooperative, contributing to improving operational efficiency and increasing income for cooperative members".

Dr. Vo Thi Kim Sa - Vice Principal of School of Public Policy and Rural Development shared.

At the training course, more than 50 cooperatives in the province listened to Dr. Vo Thi Kim Sa - Vice Principal of the School of Public Policy and Rural Development share contents related to the organization and management of community tourism cooperatives, school tourism; the role of community tourism cooperatives in local development; benefits of developing community tourism in cooperatives... Ms. Vo Thi Kim Sa said: "In order for cooperatives in the province to not only produce agriculture, but also be bolder in combining community tourism development, because this is the fastest way to bring more customers to the cooperative. Binh Thuan is the pioneer in discovering dragon fruit flowers blooming randomly thanks to being near light bulbs. This will be interesting knowledge that gardeners and cooperatives need to exploit to convey to tourists in addition to products processed from dragon fruit. From there, cooperatives are forced to be creative, think of many ways, exploit existing potential to do sustainable tourism, and retain tourists".

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/du-lich-cong-dong-huong-di-moi-cua-cac-hop-tac-xa-130328.html